Frank Doris

The Setup: Speakers

What You Need to Know to Get the Most from Your Stereo, 5.1-Channel or 6.1-Channel System (Originally published in: Sound & Vision, May 2001)

By Frank Doris
Posted June 7, 2001

You probably already know that good speakers are essential to putting together a high-quality stereo or multichannel music system or home theater. You can invest several months' mortgage payments in first-rate audio/video components, but without good speakers you're simply not going to hear your system's full potential.

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The Setup

How to get the most out of your Satellite-TV system

By Frank Doris
Posted September 6, 2001

More and more people are mak ing the switch from cable to satellite TV, and why not? A satellite system can deliver hundreds of TV and music channels digitally with amazingly clear picture and sound quality. And depending on your system and programming package, you can get Dolby Digital surround sound, HDTV movies, blazingly fast Internet access, and more.

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The Setup: DVD Players

How to get the most out of your DVD player

By Frank Doris
Posted December 23, 2001

The concept of "plug and play" is a starry-eyed consumer-electronics fantasy. In my experience, almost all home entertainment devices - at least the kinds covered in this magazine - need some sort of setup to achieve optimum performance. Heck, even my first childhood record player had to have the volume adjusted.

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The Setup: Speakers

What You Need to Know to Get the Most from Your Stereo, 5.1-Channel, or 6.1-Channel System (Originally published in: /Sound & Vision/, May 2001)

By Frank Doris
Posted August 12, 2002

You probably already know that good speakers are essential to putting together a high-quality stereo or multichannel music system or home theater. You can invest several months' mortgage payments in first-rate audio/video components, but without good speakers you're simply not going to hear your system's full potential.

» Read More

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Speakers

A guide to maximizing your home-entertainment experience.

By Frank Doris
Posted October 7, 2009

Let's get right to the point: For home theater, a good audio system is just as important as a good video display. Sure, large-screen LCD, plasma, and DLP TVs and video projectors look spectacular.

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Back to Basics: How to Set Up Your new HDTV

Get your new hi-def set hooked up right and looking great

By Frank Doris
Posted July 8, 2004

So you finally went out and bought a high-definition TV. Congratulations - you've joined a growing community of people who've switched to the new digital technology.

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Back to Basics: Surround Sound Speakers

Whether you're immersing yourself in surround sound for the first time or just want to fine-tune your system, we show you how to set up your speakers.

By Frank Doris
Posted August 11, 2004

I probably don't need to convince you that HDTV is a spectacular viewing experience, with astonishingly lifelike images. But to enjoy all the benefits of HDTV and DVD, you need a multichannel surround sound system.

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How to Buy Surround Sound

By Frank Doris
Posted January 1, 2005

One of the best things about home theater is the thrilling realism and impact that surround sound brings to the experience. Having a great sound system can make the difference between just watching TV and feeling like you're in a movie theater, immersed in the onscreen action. But what kind of surround setup is best for you?

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Back to Basics: How to Set Up Your Receiver

Our step-by-step guide that will take your receiver from fresh-out-of-the-box to Control Central

By Frank Doris
Posted February 24, 2005

You might think your TV is the most important part of your home theater system. But the real heart of any home-entertainment setup is the A/V or digital surround receiver - the one element that ties all the others together and lets you select and adjust what you watch or listen to.

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Back to Basics: How to Set Up a DVD Player or DVD Recorder

Hooking up your new player or recorder can be easy if you follow these simple steps

By Frank Doris
Posted May 26, 2005

It won't be long before expressions like, "Honey, don't forget to tape American Idol for me!" and "Let's go to the videotape" fade as disc- and hard-drive-based recording triumphs over the trusty VCR. And while DVD recorders a re more complicated to set up and use than VCRs, they're getting easier - really!

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